2009 Reading Log

[WhatsHisNuts]

Book #12 Completed: From Square One: A Meditation, with Digressions, on Crosswords by Dean Olsher

Finished August 23rd.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars.


Thoughts: If you aren't a big fan of crossword puzzles, don't waste your time. Slow moving, boring read. I really like crosswords, so I was able to handle it, but I'm glad it wasn't a very long book.

 

[dunclock]

just finished Sandford's Invisible Prey, have read all of this Lucas Davenport series

started another David Baldacci since I finished his last one at the golf outing, he is always a good read

still on my usual book every 10-14 days

 

[Woodson]

Went to Barnes and Noble to kill some time and came home with The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.

8/10

I loved the narrative from a dog's perspective (Enzo) about life and it's journey. Starting as a puppy, he tails :142smiliehis story of his owner and the addition of his wife and child with life's tribulations...

Pretty moving and a good book for us that are dog lovers and enjoy the life lesson metaphors from the angle of a dog who loves car racing as much as his owner...

I read it in one evening and thought it was a great read.

?The Art of Racing in The Rain has everything: love, tragedy, redemption, danger, and--best of all--the canine narrator Enzo. This old soul of a dog has much to teach to us about being human. I loved this book.? -- Sara Gruen, Author of Water for Elephants

?I savored Garth Stein?s The Art of Racing in the Rain for many reasons: a dog who speaks, the thrill of competitive racing, a heart-tugging storyline, and--best of all--the fact that it is a meditation on humility and hope in the face of despair. Since finishing this engagingly unique novel, I?ve found myself staring at my own dog, thinking, Hmm, I wonder ...? -- Wally Lamb, Author of She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True

?The Art of Racing in the Rain takes you on an unforgettable journey through another kind of mind, through the eyes -- and nose -- of a dog. I found it fascinating.? -- Temple Grandin, Author of Animals in Translation

 

[Woodson]

................

If you're running out of Cormac to read, you could move onto the writer who influenced him the most, whose writing is very similar to his. And also a better writer Than Cormac:

Reading this next... thanks for the suggestion!

BTW, I picked up Atlas Shrugged but was intimidating weighing in at close to 8 pounds... over 1000 pages...

Worth the read? :shrug:

 

[JT]

Recently read 'The Last Battle' by Cornelius Ryan. (He wrote two other books, Bridge Too Far and Longest Day which I have not read)

It is about the Battle for Berlin. About 500 pages but reads really fast. Very good book.

 

[Woodson]

The Kite Runner - 8/10

Pretty good story, not what I was expecting but good none the less.

Foreign Body - 5/10 Classic Robin Cook

The Shimmer - 3/10 David Shimmer
This one was quite far fetched and not necessarily something I would suggest anyone reading.

 

[dawgball]

BTW, I picked up Atlas Shrugged but was intimidating weighing in at close to 8 pounds... over 1000 pages...

Worth the read? :shrug:

Definitely

 

[DR STRANGELOVE]

Definitely

after you are done, read the fountainhead by the same author

 

[gardenweasel]

crime fiction fans.....here are reviews of michael connelly`s "the scarecrow"....

http://www.michaelconnelly.com/Book_Collection/Scarecrow/Reviews/reviews.html

the synopsis..

http://www.michaelconnelly.com/Book_Collection/Scarecrow/scarecrow.html

just grabbed it at the library....starting it in the next few days...

the guy is very,very good...

interviewer/"I think your killer, The Scarecrow, is by far the creepiest one you have ever written. What elements do you think you need to create a truly terrifying fictional killer? "

connelly/"Prior to this, I've written from the killer's point of view only two other times. One of those times was with The Poet. Since that was a Jack McEvoy/Rachel Walling story, I decided to do it again here. The truth is, the villains are easiest to create because there are no bounds. The creepier your imagination can go, the better. I think the thing to remember is that these sorts of people need to square their crimes with themselves. So they have built-in mechanisms that allow them to live with themselves and that give them plausible explanations for why they are the way they are. When they become true believers in the cancer that affects their character, they are really frightening."

 

[WhatsHisNuts]

Book #13 Completed: I Drink For a Reason, by David Cross

Finished October 23rd.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars.


Thoughts: Cross is one of my favorite stand-up comedians, but his humor doesn't translate well in book form.

 

[WhatsHisNuts]

Book #14 Completed: Super Freakonomics, by S. Levitt and S. Dubner

Finished October 27th.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.


Thoughts: The first book was better, but this was a fun read. I love their perspective.

 

[RAYMOND]

reading is good for the mind

 

[dawgball]

I haven't updated in a while, and I will skip through a few that I read and can't think of right at this moment.

Last two:

Wild at Heart by John Eldredge

Don't bother if you are not religious, but I thought it had some really good thoughts in it. Iron John by Robert Ply is supposedly the non-religious version and inspiration for Wild at Heart if you are interested in the topic.

The Think Big Manifesto by Michael Port is an inspiring and very quick read. Being someone who likes to think that they think big this book resonated with me on all fronts.

Up next:
The Design of Everyday Things by Donald A. Norman has come highly recommended by a few people that I like the way they think. Planning on trying to translate the thoughts in this book to software design.

Nice work on knocking out so many books, gmroz!!

 

[dunclock]

Been reading so much this year, just started book 28, that the last trip I made, I bought a book in the airport bookstore and about 5 pages into it while in the air, realized i had already read it:mj16:

 

[Happy Hippo]

I lost track of the number of books I have read this year, but I think I have well made my goal already! GM - finally got around to reading the Outliers for that bet I lost last year. It was pretty easy reading and finished it in a night - was very intrigued by the first four chapters and thought it kind of went downhill from there. The cultural legacy thing was a bit of a reach for me. I feel like he justified a lot of his arguments with facts that could have been found for either side of the discussion. However, overall quite interesting and I especially enjoyed the chapter on the 10,000 hours it takes to be an expert or genius at something. I think this may force Agent to up Augusta's golfing hours from 1 to 5 a day...

 

[WhatsHisNuts]

I lost track of the number of books I have read this year, but I think I have well made my goal already! GM - finally got around to reading the Outliers for that bet I lost last year. It was pretty easy reading and finished it in a night - was very intrigued by the first four chapters and thought it kind of went downhill from there. The cultural legacy thing was a bit of a reach for me. I feel like he justified a lot of his arguments with facts that could have been found for either side of the discussion. However, overall quite interesting and I especially enjoyed the chapter on the 10,000 hours it takes to be an expert or genius at something. I think this may force Agent to up Augusta's golfing hours from 1 to 5 a day...

Glad to hear you read it. I really liked the part about the 10,000 hours and the importance of birthday's for kids in sports and school.

 

[SixFive]

I have finished a couple of books by Brad Thor recently. Entertaining author.

dawgball, I did that Wild at Heart series in the late summer. Some pretty good ideas in it for sure, and enjoyable.

 

[dunclock]

just finished book #30 on my west coast trip and 3/4 of the way thru #31

 

[dunclock]

finished #31 earlier today, another Mike Lupica book, guy gets on my nerves on ESPN but is a good sports fiction writer

 

[WhatsHisNuts]

Book #15 Completed: Thank You For Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About The Art of Persuasion. By Jay Heinrichs


Finished November 26th.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.


Thoughts: Great book on public speaking and rhetoric. He tried to make it entertaining, but there was only so far he could go.

I made my goal of 15 books for the year! Personal Best!:00hour:00hour:00hour